To ask for your best underrated holidays

[toolatetoloseweight]

Not really AIBU, but inspired by another thread about best once in a lifetime holidays with kids, I am wondering what are your best underrated/budget holidays? in particular I mean holidays where you found a hidden gem or which massively exceeded expectations? I have heaps of ideas of places I want to go but which are too expensive or not suitable for younger kids so looking for ideas of places that aren't massively expensive and which are family friendly...

Did you go anywhere else other than Alnwick/the wedding?

Northumberland is a rather large place.

We love Northumberland and Pembrokeshire. We tried costeering near Tenby this year a s it was fabulous, so much fun.

Also love Pefkos in Rhodes and will finally be going back this summer. Its not everyone's cup of tea as its quite busy in the summer, but DS loves it. We do a glass bottom boat tour every year which is his highlight, ans then another boat trip where you can swim or get a little boat to a secluded beach which he loves.

Did you go anywhere else other than Alnwick/the wedding?

We stayed four days and there was plenty to do - some nice coastal walks, we went out to Dunstanburgh castle, saw some gardens and a rhododendron forest. It was perfectly pleasant but I grew up beside the sea so I don't automatically get excited to see it, and the beaches were big and flat and greyish under big grey skies - I expect we were unlucky with the weather. And we didn't make it to Holy Island tbf.

If I lived an hour away I'd enjoy a trip there but I'm surprised it is such a favourite.

But Alnwick is not. It is overcrowded because of the Harry Potter connection. I loved Northumberland but Alnwick was a low point of the trip.

This is probably where we went wrong - we had to be centred at Alnwick.

I bought this natural deodorant years ago and it's still going strong...

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/salt-of-the-earth-natural-unscented-stick-deodorant-60071585?skuid=071585

Leiden in the Netherlands, only went there for one art exhibition, discovered a beautiful city.

Argh wrong thread. Dunno how I managed that.

I love to travel but I have been a lone parent since DD was 8 so we go away a lot but usually to obscure places depending on skyscanner cheap flights (in school holidays). We have had some amazing holidays in central Europe- Bulgaria is really beautiful and we discovered it by accident when for some reason an owner of an apartment in a 5* spa hotel in Bansko put it up for a week for under £200 at the beginning of April and we had an amazing week. DD does ski, and it is certainly not the Alps, but we go back every April as an extra and have a lovely time (keeping expectations in check). We have also been in Summer and then travelled to Sebia and North Macedonia. For some reason we just love that part of the world.

Romania was a massive surprise, it is a stunning country. Again just happened to book cheap flights for £20 return. It is beautiful and lots on offer because it is a huge country. Night sleeper trains are cheap and it is easy to travel on to Hungary etc.

During covid times and travel corridors and restrictions we went to various greek islands again. Rhodes was a huge suprise- we loved it. We extended out stay in a very simple family complex with a huge pool and relaxed atmosphere because we were island hoping afterwards so spent 10 very relaxed nights there and instead just one night in kos at the end to fly home.

Finally, we went back to Turkey last October- again cheap flights because of covid (and Easy Jet were really generous with their rebooking policy if they cancelled-so moved to half term). We just had the best week- flew into Antalya and had a cheap transfer to Pammukkale, a few nights in a family hotel to visit the hot springs etc, hot air balloon flight, paragliding then an easy train to visit Ephesus- staying in a beautiful family hotel in a small village in the hills nearby famous for wine for one night. We then got a coach (very fancy with seatback entertainment, complimentary snack trolley) ending up in Dalyan. Such a relaxed resort, the beach could be in the Carribean and it was lovely getting the boat there. I forgot how much I love Turkey- I cannot wait to go back.

Romania was a massive surprise, it is a stunning country. Again just happened to book cheap flights for £20 return. It is beautiful and lots on offer because it is a huge country. Night sleeper trains are cheap and it is easy to travel on to Hungary etc.

I’m excited to read this, as we plan to go to Romania next year - it will be our third attempt

@Abracadabra12345- I hope you get there! We have been back a couple of times and always had a good stay. We have found Romanians to be very welcoming (including an amazingly funny tram ride on the way back to Oradea from the thermal resort nearby when a woman in her 50s decided to use the English she learnt in Soviet times to engage us in conversation. She involved the whole carriage of bemused teenagers and ended it with an invite to a family birthday party the next day)!

It really is a stunning place with lots of historical gems, wonderful cities and also very cheap to visit. It is amazing in lots of ways that it remains so off the radar for travellers. It still feels very undiscovered. Of course there remains the suburbs of of soviet apartment blocks and infrastructure is catching up but that is all part of the experience